Veggiefarmer09 - 11/30/2024 15:03

Thanks for all that info on the various models. Our 1896 did seem like an upgrade from the 1256 we were renting before and most of the time I don't even mind the 4 post rops but would like a cab for spraying with our airblast sprayer.

I'm guessing then performance wise a 1086 would be closer to the abilities of the 1896 then as opposed to the 986? I don't currently do a lot of pto work with it and the 3 pt work isn't real precise work either really.

THE 1086 WOULD BE A STEP UP FROM THE 1896. OUR 1896 WAS RATED RIGHT AROUND 100 HP, A 1066 WILL BE 130+. YOU WILL ALSO BE GAINING A CAT III 3 POINT HITCH 986 WOULD BE MUCH CLOSER IN SIZE, I THINK A HAIR MORE RATED HP, BUT WITH THE BETTER LUGGING OF THE ABILITY OF THE CUMMINS ENGINE, THE SEAT OF THE PANTS IMPRESSION IS THAT THEY ARE ABOUT EQUALLY MATCHED. SHIFING ISN'T ANY BETTER THAN THE 1896 FOR 80% OF THE JOBS, WORSE FOR ANOTHER 15% AND BETTER FOR MAYBE 5%. DITTO THE 1086/1066

As far as the 7120 it would be a huge upgrade but probably out of the budget unless I stumbled on a deal. So the 5240 would be a slightly improved version of the 1896 as far as tranny/electrical reliability? Loading tires would probably help decently I assume because mine aren't loaded.

THAT WOULD BE A GOOD WAY OF SAYING IT. THE 5240 WOLUD BE ABOUT THE SAME HP AS THE 1896, A 5250 WOULD BE A BIT MORE HP. THE PHYSICAL SIZE OF THE TRACTOR IS SLIGHTLY SMALLER, A LITTLE LIGHTER, AND SLIGHTLY SHORTER WHEELBASE. THIS MAKES IT MORE MANEUVERABLE BUT ALSO A LITTLE BIT LESS STABLE FEELING WITH LARGE LOADS. KEEP IN MIND WE HAVE LOTS OF ROLLING GROUND HERE, AND DO HAY ON FAIRLY SEEP GROUND IN PLACES. IF YOU ARE ON THE LEVEL AND WEIGHT IT DOWN TO EQUAL THE 1896 YOU WILL PROBABLY NEVER NOTICE THIS. IM PRETTY SURE THE 5140/5240 WOULD BE CONSIDERED AN 'IMPROVED' 1896. SHIFTING IS MUCH SMOOTHER, AND IT HAS POWER SHUTTLE WHERE YOU CAN GO FROM FORWARD TO REVERSE WITHOUT CLUTCHING. I'M PRETTY SURE THEY WERE DESIGNED WITH LOADER WORK IN MIND. THOSE FIRST GENERATION MAXXUM TRACTORS WERE SOME OF THE MOST RELIABLE OUT THERE FOR THEIR SIZE AND HP. VERY, VERY FEW PROBLEMS IN OVER 10K HOURS.


Appreciate all the info on the 5088 because I actually hadn't sae them as an option. From the specs I saw if I'm remembering right would be decently larger than the 1896? But guess the plus would be it wouldn't be working very hard or need to be loaded down for traction. Were those transmissions pretty solid then since they weren't used very long (I assume the merger was the reason) or were they carried into other model lines?

MOST OF THE TRANSMISSION PARTS AS FAR AS GEARS, BEARINGS, AND SHAFTS WERE CARRIED OVER INTO THE EARLY MAGNUM SERIES. THE 5088 WOULD HAVE AN AVANTAGE OVER A 1086 IN TERMS OF MORE GEARS, A TRUE POWER SHIFT INSTEAD OF A T/A, SYNCHRONIZED GEARS, A WET CLUTCH, BETTER HYDRAULICS (THE OLDER 86 SERIES HAD LESS FLOW PRESSURE, THE LATER ONES UPGRADED THE FLOW AND PSI, BUT WEREN'T PERFECTED YET AND HAD SOME ISSUES - MAINLY THINGS LIKE CRACKING LINES DUE TO THE HIGHER PRESSURE WHICH WOULD CAUSE LEAKS UNDER THE CAB . TRIPLE R TRACTORS CAN GET PRETTY MUCH ANY REPLACEMENT PART FOR A 5088 YOU WOULD EVER NEED, BARRING SOMETHING EXTREME LIKE CRACKING A TRANNY HOUSING OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

Are most parts still available because I know with the 1896 a lot of the electrical, power shift parts, and hydraulic stuff is starting to disappear? Are they a pain to work on/service?

PARTS AVAILABILITY HAS BEEN NO PROBLEM FOR ME FOR THE FEW PARTS I HAVE EVER NEEDED. ENGINE IS IH 400 SERIES, TRANSMISSION SHARES MOST WEAR PARTS WITH EARLY MAGNUMS, REAR END AND HYDRAULICS ARE ALL BUT IDENTICAL. I KNOW LOOKING AT THEM SERVICE ACCESS SEEMS LIKE IT WOULD BE TIGHT, BUT FOR MOST THINGS IT ISN'T BAD AT ALL. THE SIDE DOORS COME OFF IN LIKE 10 SECONDS EACH OPENING UP THE ACCESS TO THE SIDES ABOUT LIKE WHAT A 1086 WOULD HAVE. I'M NOT JUST TALKING ABOUT OPENING THE DOOR, BUT POPPING IT OFF COMPLETELY. OTHER THINGS LIKE CHANGING OIL AND FILTERS IS NO WORSE THAN A 1086, EITHER. THE ONE AND ONLY HARDER THING TO ACCESS WOULD BE THE RADIATOR TO BLOW OUT THE DUST, THAT TAKES MAYBE 15 MINUTES OF TIME TO GET THE FRONT GRILLE OFF TO GET TO THE RADIATOR INSTEAD OF 30 SECONDS LIKE THE 1086.

Hard to say since most of the pics show them all closed up with panels which also wondered if that made them prone to overheat?

I HAVE RUN MY 5088 AT FULL THROTTLE, FULL LOAD WHEN IT WAS WELL OVER 100 DEGREES OUT, AND IT MAYBE RAN A NEEDLE WIDTH WARMER THAN ANY OTHER TIME. UNLESS YOUR RADIATOR IS PLUGGED IT WILL NOT HEAT UNLESS THE FUEL IS TURNED UP AND YOU ARE WORKING THE SNOT OUT OF IT. I ACTUALLY LIKE IT FOR HAY AND SILAGE BECAUSE WHEN YOU OPEN UP A FIELD LEAVES AND STUFF DO NOT PLUG THE GRILLE. AIR COMES IN THE TOP (WHERE YOU CAN SEE IF ANYTHING IS COVERING IT FROM THE SEAT) AND BLOWS OUT THE FRONT. I THINK IT STAYS JUST AS CLEAN AS THE RADIATOR IN THE 986 OR 1066, EVEN THOUGH AT FIRST YOU WOULDN'T THINK IT WOULD.

Thanks again for all the info. Don't want to trade just for the sake of trading but the electrical/hydraulic mess on this thing just gets expensive quickly and hard to diagnose.

I AGREE. WE HAVE REPLACED THE LITTLE SHIFTER RELAY BOARD IN THE RH CONSOLE UNDER THE THROTTLE/GEARSHIFT 3-4 TIMES NOW, PLUS HAD SOME WIRING UNDER THE CAB TO THE SHIFT SOLENOIDS GO BAD (WHICH TOOK QUITE A BIT OF DIAGNOSIS TO FIGURE OUT AND A PARTIAL NEW HARNESS TO FIX). ADD TO THAT THE 'SURGE' YOU GET EVERY TIME YOU DEPRESS THE CLUTCH, AND I'D MUCH RATHER DRIVE THE 5088. WE'VE ALSO POPPED THE MAIN HYDRAULIC PRESSURE HOSE UNDER THE CAB I THINK 3 TIMES (REAL FUN TO REPLACE, WE WOUND UP CUTTING A HOLE IN THE FLOOR OF THE CAB LAST TIME JUST SO IF/WHEN IT HAPPENS AGAIN WE CAN GET TO THE FITTINGS WITH A WRENCH) AND EVEN BROKE OFF THE ODD LITTLE EYEBOLTS IN THE HYDRAULIC LINKAGE AT THE SPOOL VALVE.
OH, AND THE 5088 AND 7120 CAN CHANGE HYD FLOW FROM THE CAB INSTEAD OF REACHING AROUND THE CAB STEPS WHICH IS NICE, TOO. OURS HASN'T HAD MUCH FOR BIG PROBLEMS, BUT HAS HAD A LOT OF LITTLE ONES. BIGGEST WAS THE TORQUE PLATE GOING BAD WHICH WASN'T A CHEAP FIX.